Kuala Lumpur named world’s best city for expats to live in
Malaysia’s national capital of Kuala Lumpur has been ranked best city to live and work globally in the newly released Expat City Ranking 2021 by InterNations which offers an overview of the 57 best- and worst-rated cities for expats worldwide.
Kuala Lumpur leads the list ahead of Málaga, a port city in southern Spain, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which rank as the second and third, respectively.
The ranking takes into account factors such as quality of life, ease of settling, living costs and, meanwhile, also life abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic. The respondents to the survey were also invited to share their opinions on their current city of residence on the convenience of the public transportation system, the local housing market, career opportunities and social life.
The city ranking is part of the Expat Insider 2021 report by InterNations, in which more than 12,000 expat respondents from across the globe took part, representing a total of 174 nationalities and live in 186 countries or territories around the world.
Friendly people, low living costs, work-life balance
Expats living in Kuala Lumpur said that felt at home living there and mentioned the friendliness towards foreign residents among their top impressions, according to the survey. The relatively low cost of living, good work-life balance and quality of medical care was also lauded.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok followed Kuala Lumpur on ranks five, six and 11, respectively.
In Singapore, many expats said they were happy with their job, with work-life balance and also the high quality of medical care. Om the downside came the high cost of living and a somehow subdued social life.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city, stood out for low cost of living, high job satisfaction, vibrant social life and good work-life balance. However, the quality of medical care needs improvement, the survey shows.
Bangkok ranks low for career opportunities and urban environment
Expats living in Bangkok were impressed with the relatively low cost of living, affordable housing and mostly friendly locals, among other things, according to the survey. But the low quality of urban living, including pollution, noise and traffic, as well we a lack of career opportunities on offer for them were rated as unfavourable factors. In fact, the city ends up in the bottom three for its urban environment on sub-rank 55.
Among other Asian cities in the survey, Shanghai came in on rank 13, Hong Kong on 46th and Tokyo on an unflattering 53rd, mainly owing to long working hours, an unsatisfactory social life, lack of work-life balance, cultural issues including language, high cost of living and difficulties to find affordable housing.
Tokyo joins the worst ten cities to live and work in as an expat in this year’s survey. Italy’ capital Rome comes at the very bottom (57th), behind Milan, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Cairo, Paris, Maastricht, Moscow and New York (48th).
[caption id="attachment_37852" align="alignleft" width="300"] Kuala Lumpur has been lauded by expats for its urban environment, low living costs and work-live balance[/caption] Malaysia’s national capital of Kuala Lumpur has been ranked best city to live and work globally in the newly released Expat City Ranking 2021 by InterNations which offers an overview of the 57 best- and worst-rated cities for expats worldwide. Kuala Lumpur leads the list ahead of Málaga, a port city in southern Spain, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which rank as the second and third, respectively. The ranking takes into account factors such as quality of...
Malaysia’s national capital of Kuala Lumpur has been ranked best city to live and work globally in the newly released Expat City Ranking 2021 by InterNations which offers an overview of the 57 best- and worst-rated cities for expats worldwide.
Kuala Lumpur leads the list ahead of Málaga, a port city in southern Spain, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which rank as the second and third, respectively.
The ranking takes into account factors such as quality of life, ease of settling, living costs and, meanwhile, also life abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic. The respondents to the survey were also invited to share their opinions on their current city of residence on the convenience of the public transportation system, the local housing market, career opportunities and social life.
The city ranking is part of the Expat Insider 2021 report by InterNations, in which more than 12,000 expat respondents from across the globe took part, representing a total of 174 nationalities and live in 186 countries or territories around the world.
Friendly people, low living costs, work-life balance
Expats living in Kuala Lumpur said that felt at home living there and mentioned the friendliness towards foreign residents among their top impressions, according to the survey. The relatively low cost of living, good work-life balance and quality of medical care was also lauded.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok followed Kuala Lumpur on ranks five, six and 11, respectively.
In Singapore, many expats said they were happy with their job, with work-life balance and also the high quality of medical care. Om the downside came the high cost of living and a somehow subdued social life.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city, stood out for low cost of living, high job satisfaction, vibrant social life and good work-life balance. However, the quality of medical care needs improvement, the survey shows.
Bangkok ranks low for career opportunities and urban environment
Expats living in Bangkok were impressed with the relatively low cost of living, affordable housing and mostly friendly locals, among other things, according to the survey. But the low quality of urban living, including pollution, noise and traffic, as well we a lack of career opportunities on offer for them were rated as unfavourable factors. In fact, the city ends up in the bottom three for its urban environment on sub-rank 55.
Among other Asian cities in the survey, Shanghai came in on rank 13, Hong Kong on 46th and Tokyo on an unflattering 53rd, mainly owing to long working hours, an unsatisfactory social life, lack of work-life balance, cultural issues including language, high cost of living and difficulties to find affordable housing.
Tokyo joins the worst ten cities to live and work in as an expat in this year’s survey. Italy’ capital Rome comes at the very bottom (57th), behind Milan, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Cairo, Paris, Maastricht, Moscow and New York (48th).
